Car-coupling.



R. B. H. LEIGHTON & V. W. ZILEN.

OAR COUPLING. APPLICATION IILBD NOV. 7, 1910. 1,036,278, Patented Aug.20, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' v y i I v ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH (10-. WASHINGTON. D. c.

R. B. H. LEIGHTON & V. W, ZILEN.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1910.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

INVENTORS WITNESSES ATTORNEY UNTTED S RICHARD B. H. LEIGI-ITON, OFCHAT'I'ANOOGA, TENNESSEE, AND VICTOR W. ZILEN, OF RICHMOND HILL,NEXVVYORK.

CAR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

Original application filed February 19, 1909, Serial No. 478,961.Divided and this application filed November 7, 1910.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that we, RICHARD B. H. LnIorrroN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State ofTennessee, and Vioron VJ. ZILEN, a subject of the Emperor of Russia,residing at Richmond Hill, in the county of Queens and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Car-Cow pling, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in car couplings, and is adivision of an application, filed by us on or about Feb. 19, 1909,Serial No. 478,961.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofcar couplings, and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive carcoupling, adapted to meet the present requirements of the Master CarBuilders Association, and capable of automatic coupling, and equippedwith a lock set for enabling it to be arranged for automatic uncoupling.

Another object of the invention is to enable the knuckle lockingmechanism to be readily connected with an operating device, located ateither the top or right hand side of a freight car, or the left handside of a passenger coach.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claimshereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view of a car coupling, constructedin accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional viewof the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line m-w of Fig.2. Fig. 4. is a horizontal sectional.

Serial No. 591,132.

its lower or engaging position for locking the knuckle. Fig. 7 is asimilar view, the locking pin being supported in an elevated position bythe lock set. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view, illustrating thearrangement of the several passages for the chain of the operatingmechanism. Fig. 9 is a reverse plan view of the draw head. Figs. 10 and11 are detail views of the knuckle. Fig. 12 is a detail View on the line22 of Fig. 6, illustrating the construction and arrangement of the lockset.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The numeral 1 designates a draw head provided with a shank or draw bar2, having a relatively large longitudinal opening 3, and adapted toafford a greater space for the attachment of a tail pin or bolt whenrequired. The draw head is provided at one side with the usual guard arm1, and it has spaced ears 5 at opposite sides for the reception of aknuckle pin 6, on which a knuckle 7 is pivotally mounted. The arm 8 ofthe knuckle is provided at the inner side with a laterally projectingtapered portion or bill 9, arranged to enter a recess 10 at the adjacentwall of the draw head when the knuckle is closed,-whereby the knuckle isinterlocked with the draw head and is effectually prevented from pullingout of the same in event of breakage of the pin. The knuckle is lockedin its closed position by a vertically movable locking pin 11,consisting of a fiatvertically disposed rectangular head 12 and a roundlower portion or shank. The rectangular port-ionor head operates in arecess or cavity 13 of the top of the draw head, and the shank extendsthrough an opening 14 of the bottom of the draw head. The bottom isprovided at the said opening with depending flanges forming a lowerpocket 15. The rectangular engaging portion or head of the locking pinextends longitudinally of the draw head, and is fitted against one ofthe side walls thereof, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of thedrawings. The said head 12 presents a flat side face to the arm of theknuckle, which is providedat the side edge with a shoulder 16, formed bycut-ting oil the cor.-

*by an upper coiled spring 17, adapted to assist gravity in causing thelocking pin to drop into engagement with the knuckle, and capable ofalso cushioning the upward movement of the locking pin to prevent thesame from being injured should it be thrown suddenly upward withconsiderable force. The draw head is provided at the top of the recessor cavity 13 with a depending pin 18, which extends into the upperportion of the coiled spring 17, and the lower end of the coiled springis received in a socket 19, formed in the head of the locking pin.

The lower round portion or shank of the locking pin is provided with avertical slot 20, extending longitudinally of the locking pin andarranged at the lower portion to form a shoulder 21 for receiving astationary lock set 22. The lock set 22 provides a fixed horizontalsupport and is adapted to engage with the shoulder 21 to support thelocking pin in an elevated position, as illustrated in Fig. 7 of thedrawings. The upper portion of the slot is of a width sufiicient toreceive the lock set to permit the locking pin to drop into engagementwith the arm of the knuckle, and when the latter is lifted by theoperating mechanism hereinafter referred to, it is moved upward and itslower portion is drawn forward to carry the intermediate shoulder 21onto the seat, formed by the upper edge of the lock set. The shoulder 21is inclined and the upper edge of the lock set is beveled downwardly andforwardly to correspond with the inclination of the shoulder, so as toretain the locking pin in engagement with the lock set. The inclinedseat afiorded by the lock set, however, does not interfere with thebackward movement of the lower portion of the locking pin necessary torelease the latter, and the arm of the knuckle is equipped with ahorizontally projecting rounded lug or portion 23, which in the openingmovement of the knuckle, is carried into engagement with the roundedlower portion of the locking pin. When the lug 23 strikes the lockingpin, it moves the latter rearwardly and disengages the shoulder 21 fromthe lock set and causes the locking pin to drop. The projecting head ofthe locking pin, when released, drops upon the knuckle. During theclosing movement of the knuckle it passes inwardly from under the head12 of the locking pin, and the latter is then positively moved downwardinto engagement with the knuckle by the spiral spring 17. The downwardmovement of the locking pin is limited by the lock set, which supportsthe engaging portion or head 12 of the locking pin a short distanceabove the bottom of the draw head, and the upper face of the end portionof the arm of the knuckle presents a curved inclined plane 24:, asclearly illustrated in Fig. 10 of the drawings, whereby the arm of theknuckle in its closing movement is adapted to engage the lower edge ofthe head of the locking pin and lift the same, so as to pass beneath andbeyond the head, thereby effecting the operation of automatic coupling.The lock set preferably consists of a split key piercing the oppositewalls of the pocket 15 and provided at one end with a head and havingthe terminals of the metal spread at the other end of the key, asclearly illustrated in Fig. 9 of the drawings, whereby the key issecurely retained in place.

The draw head is provided at its bottomv portion below the upper face ofthe bottom with horizontally disposed transversely arranged passages 25and 26, extending laterally from opposite sides of the pocket 15, andadapted to permit a chain 27 to extend downward from the lower end ofthe looking pin through either side of the draw head. The draw head isalso equipped with a vertical chain receiving passage 28, located at oneside of and in parallelism with the passage for the locking pin andseparated from the same by an intervening vertical wall. These passagesare flared at their terminals and present rounded surfaces to the chainfor enabling the latter to be readily operated. The lower end of thelocking pin is provided with an eye for the reception of a 2 pin 29, orother suitable fastening device for securing a U-shaped link 30 to thelocking pin. The chain is attached at one end to the U-shaped link, andis designed to be connected with suitable operating mechanism, which maybe located at either side or the top of a car. This enables the chain tobe operated by the usual mechanism, located at the right hand side ortop of a freight car, or at the left hand side of a passenger coach. Thechain extends upward in advance of the lower portion of the locking pin,as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, and when it is pulledupon it lifts the locking pin and at the same time moves the lowerportion forwardly and seats the intermediate shoulder upon the lock set.The lower end of the vertical chain receiving passage 28 communicateswith the horizontal passage 25 at the right hand side of the coupler.

The knuckle when released is free to move I outward and is automaticallyopened by a spring 31, preferably coiled horizontally. The inner portionof the spring is bent to form a horizontal loop 32, which receives asquared pin 33. The pin 33 is arranged in upper and lower grooves 34:,formed in the upper port-ion of the draw head and in a projecting flange35. The outer end of the spring is doubled to provide a thickenedportion 87, bearing against an upwardly extending stud 38 of the arm ofthe knuckle and provided with a projecting lug 39, which operates in anarcuate slot 40 in the top wall of the draw head to limit the outwardmovement of the spring.

The knuckle opening mechanism is not claimed in the present application,as it forms the subject-matter of the aforesaid application.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A car coupling including a draw head, a pivoted knuckle, a lockingpin for engaging the knuckle, said locking pin being provided with alongitudinal slot and having a shoulder located at a point intermediateof the ends of the slot, and a lock set seat extending through the slotand arranged to engage wit-h the shoulder for holding the locking pin inan elevated position and limiting the downward movement of the lookingpin and supporting the engaging portion thereof above the bottom of thedraw head in spaced relation with the same when the locking pin is atthe limit of its downward movement.

2. A car coupling including a draw head, a pivoted knuckle, a lockingpin for engaging the knuckle, said locking pin being provided with alongitudinal slot enlarged at the lower portion to form an intermediateshoulder, and a fixed lock set extending through the slot of the lockingpin and having a seat arranged to receive the shoulder to support thelocking pin in an elevated position and limiting the downward movementof the locking pin and supporting the engaging portion thereof above thebottom of the draw head in spaced relation with the same when thelocking pin is at the limit of its downward movement.

3. A car coupling including a draw head, a pivoted knuckle, a lockingpin coacting with the knuckle and provided with a longitudinal slotclosed at its ends, said locking pin being provided at a pointintermediate of its ends with an inclined shoulder, and a key passingthrough the slot of the looking pin and piercing opposite portions ofthe draw head and having a beveled upper edge arranged to be engagedwith the in clined shoulder of the locking pin.

4. A car coupling including a draw head provided in its bottom with anopening and having depending exterior flanges at the said opening, avertically movable locking pin extending through the opening in thebottom of the draw head and provided with a longitudinal slot closed atthe ends, said locking pin being provided at a point intermediate of theends of the slot with a shoulder, a fastening device piercing theflanges of the draw head and passing through the slot of the locking pinand forming a fixed lock set to coact with the shoulder of the lockingpin, and a pivoted knuckle having means for disengaging the locking pinfrom the lock set.

5. A car coupling including a draw head provided at the top with aninteriorly arranged recess and having an opening inits bottom, said drawhead being also provided at the opening with depending exterior flanges,a vertically movable locking pin having its upper end arranged in therecess in the top of the draw head, the lower portion of the locking pinbeing extended through the openingin the bottom of the draw head andprovided with a longitudinal slot and having a shoulder at a pointintermediateof the ends thereof, a fastening de vice piercing theflanges of the draw head and extending through the slot of the lookingpin and forming a fixed lock set to coact with the said shoulder forsupporting the locking pin, a spring arranged within the said recess andengaging the upper end of the locking pin for forcing the latterdownward, and operating means connected with the lower end of thelocking pin for raising the same.

6. A car coupling including a draw head, a vertically movable lockingpin provided at its upper end with a head and having a lower shankportion, a spring engaging the locking pin and arranged to urge the samedownwardly, a relatively fixed lock set seat for supporting the lockingpin in an elevated position and limiting the downward movement of thelocking pin to support the head thereof above the bottom of the drawhead in spaced relation with the same when the locking pin is at thelimit of its downward movement, and a pivoted knuckle having an armbeveled at its upper face and provided at its end with a projecting luglocated at an intermediate point between the side edges of the arm andarranged to strike the looking pin to move the same out of engagementwith the lock set seat.

7. A car coupling including a draw head, a vertically movable lockingpin operable in the draw head, the latter being provided at oppositesides of the locking pin with transverse passages and having an upwardlyextending passage communicating with one of the transverse passages, andmeans connected with the locking pin and adapted to operate in any oneof the said passages for raising the locking pin.

8. A car coupling including a draw head, a vertically movable lockingpin operable in the draw head, the latter being provided at one side ofthe locking pin with a vertical passage and having transverse passagesextending from opposite sides of the locking pin and located below theplane of the bottom of the draw head, and means connected with thelocking pin and operable in any: one of the said passages for raisingthe said i locking pin.

9. A car coupling including a draw head} provided in its top with aninterior recess and having an opening in its bottom, a verticallymovable locking pin operable in the draw head with its upper end in thesaidj recess and its lower portion extendedj through the opening in thebottom of the? draw head, the latter being provided at opposite sides ofthe locking pin with trans-l verse passages and having an upright pas-1sage communicating with the transverse passages and extending throughthe top of the draw head and arranged at one side of the locking pin,the said draw head having a vertical wall located between the lockingpin and the said upright passage and flexi- 1 ble means vconnected withthe locking pin and operable in any one of the passages for rais-' ingthe said locking pin.

In testimony, that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have heretoafiixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD B. LEIGHTON. VICTOR w. ZILEN.

Witnesses for Leighton:

J. G. RICHARDSON, S. M; HUDLEsoN. Witnesses for Zilen:

A. H. BIsoHoF, CHAs. T. BISGHOF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

